A new era has descended upon Chicago. The Bears fired head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace, replacing them with Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles. While the future does look bright on offense, the defense has lost some key pieces this offseason. DT Akiem Hicks is currently testing free agency, but the move to Eberflus’ 4-3 defense might make his return to Chicago less than ideal. Let’s look at some destinations and make predictions for Hicks in the 2022 free agency period.
Predictions for Akiem Hicks in 2022 NFL free agency
While Hicks could return to the franchise, it’s evident the new front office is already making moves to shape the future of their roster on defense. In a trade with the Raiders, the Chicago Bears acquired LB Khalil Mack back on September 1, 2018. Chicago also received a 2020 second-round pick (Cole Kmet) and a 2020 sixth-round pick (Arlington Hambright) while sending 2019 first- and sixth-round selections and 2020 first- and third-round picks.
Four years later, on March 16, 2022, the Bears officially traded the six-time Pro Bowler to the Los Angeles Chargers. Chicago received the 48th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and a 2023 sixth-round pick in return for the LB. With Mack on the way out, can Hicks see the writing on the wall?
The second-round pick from the Chargers gives Chicago two picks in the top 50. This trade makes some amends for trading their 2022 first-round pick to the New York Giants in the 2021 NFL Draft to select QB Justin Fields. The defense will be addressed in the draft to complement this young offense. So where should Hicks take his talents next? Let’s make some predictions.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers have built quite the roster over the past couple of years. They need to go the route of their LA counterpart and push all their chips into the center for a Super Bowl run. QB Justin Herbert is still on his rookie contract. The young pieces of the defense are the same. The transaction for Mack went off without a hitch. Why not bring in both him and Hicks?
Chargers HC Brandon Staley was Chicago’s outside linebackers coach from 2017 to 2018. Not only does this reunite Staley and Mack, but Staley figures to have some relationship with Hicks as well. While he may no longer be a three-down lineman, there’s no denying Hicks still dramatically affects the passing game.
He amassed 3.5 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, and 9 QB hits in just nine games. The Chargers run a 3-4 defense, a scheme Hicks can slide into perfectly. The prime earning years are over, and the Chargers could get Hicks at a bargain despite still having $26 million left in salary cap space.
Baltimore Ravens
Another team running a 3-4 defensive scheme is the Baltimore Ravens. The 2021 season was a nightmare for the Ravens on both sides of the ball due to injuries. While they will see the return of playmakers all over the field, the defense did miss out on Za’Darius Smith in free agency. Nevertheless, Baltimore did bring in safety Marcus Williams on a five-year, $70 million contract to shore up the secondary and DT Michael Pierce to replace Brandon Williams.
However, the depth behind Pierce and his recent string of injuries is concerning. Many have the Ravens selecting Georgia’s Jordan Davis in the first round with the 14th pick. This might still be a good move, but bringing in one more seasoned veteran could also help generate the pass rush Baltimore is searching for.
Being in the latter half of his career, signing Hicks to a team-friendly contract can help the Ravens generate some more pressure and be a veteran presence to help develop a young rookie. It also lightens the load on both Pierce and Hicks. The Ravens still have $11 million left in cap space. This transaction could easily be in play.
Green Bay Packers
How about a move that would stick it to the Bears a bit? According to The Athletic, Hicks got into a heated altercation with former position coach Chris Rumph after the Bears’ Week 17 win over the Giants. While Rumph is gone, Chicago’s moves since do not seem to have Hicks’ best interests in mind. Could the Green Bay Packers attempt to woo the former Bear?
Green Bay has $19 million left in salary cap space — plenty of room to add a veteran defensive lineman who is still producing at a high level. Kenny Clark will continue to get the majority of snaps, but having Hicks behind him can help the Packers preserve Clark a bit. Green Bay’s defensive line depth is incredibly thin and could be addressed with two picks in both the first and second rounds. But assets need to be acquired for Rodgers, and bringing in Hicks on a veteran deal gives some insurance behind Clark.
